On Hijab's Martyrdom

I remember reading in a Cilantro's (a coffeeshop) monthly publication (I know!) a couple of years ago an article about Empowering the Veiled Woman, and thinking "does she really need more empowerement? it seems to me that in Egypt, she's almost invincible!"

Recently, the empowerement campaign took a new direction, for it no longer became limited to peer pressure, repentant-actresses/bellydancers-turned-preachers on TV shows, stickers on public transportation windows or the occasional newspaper article on the importance of Hijab.

After the death of Marwa El Sherbini, our good old media started placing their bets on the "Martyr of Hijab" horse.

First off I have to state (preemptively) that Marwa's death is truly tragic, it is a horrific thing that she was killed, as well as why she was killed.

That said, let's admit we have a very advanced Martyr Complex in Egypt, and that complex has driven us to turn Marwa into an icon.

Which is okay, really... maybe she should be iconized, maybe not... but that's hardly the issue here.

The issue is that iconizing Marwa isn't enough for certain people, because Marwa is a person... and a dead one at that!

Those people would much rather iconize something that is alive and well, and make it even more alive by iconizing it.

That thing is of course the Hijab.

Which is a joke, really!

You want to know why Hijab can't be a martyr? Or a flag under which martyrs can gather?!

Because outside Europe, and particularly in Egypt, there is hardly anybody who wants it dead, so it can never become a martyr!

Go for a walk down the streets of Egypt and take a look around...

If you would rather remain at home, read this

And If you don't feel like clicking on the above link, here's a bottom line:

ولعل المثير أخيراً هو ما يتنطع به أشباه الكتبة بزعمهم أن الحجاب مستهدف فى مصر، وهذا لغو ينفيه الواقع تماماً، فنظرة واحدة على أى شارع فى أى مدينة مصرية، تؤكد أن غير المحجبة الآن هى إحدى اثنتين: فإما أن تكون مسيحية، أو من بقايا النخبة الاجتماعية التى لم ترضخ بعد لابتزاز الغزو الوهابى، واختارت.. وتحملت ثمن حريتها، رغم محاولات مروجى الهوس الدينى لممارسة الوصاية على خلق الله.

Have some logic, because you can't make Hijab both dominant and oppressed.

And if you manage to, well that says a lot about those who buy your shit.